Time-away plan
Leaving your aquarium for a weekend: what to set up
A weekend away: why no source gives a safe time without food, the daily checks Merck lists, and what to test before you go.
Also listed as 3-4 days away, short trip, no sitter
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Short answer
No veterinary, university or maker source we read gives a safe number of days fish can go without food. Merck says nutritional needs are known for only a handful of species and that feeding rates vary with species, age, system and temperature. So decide with your own tank in mind: ask someone to look in, or run a feeder you have already tested at home.
Key facts
- Feeding plan
- No source sets a safe fasting period; a tested feeder or a person[1][2]Merck also says overfeeding causes health problems as well as a dirty tank.
- Feeder test
- Run any feeder at home first; Fish Mate advises 14 days of supervision for a new F14[3]The maker's recommendation, not reliability evidence.
- Aeration backup
- Not confirmed
- Water quality
- Remove uneaten food and check equipment before leaving[6]Merck's maintenance table lists daily checks of fish, water temperature and equipment and removal of uneaten food.
- Sitter check
- Merck's daily checks: fish, temperature, equipment, uneaten food[6]
- If the power goes out
- A check valve stops water siphoning back into a pump below the tank[7]Danner says to fit it in the airline outside the water.
Watch out for
- There is no sourced safe number of days. Do not plan around one; a 2012 zebrafish fasting study measured digestive gene expression, not survival.
- A feeder you have not tested is a new risk. Fish Mate tells owners to supervise a new F14 for 14 days while present.
- Feeding rules do not transfer between species. Merck says it is dangerous to assume what suits one fish suits an unrelated one.
What fits
Product details below are the seller's own description unless a source is shown. Pick the variant named for each item.
Battery feeder
Fish Mate F14 automatic aquarium feederChoose the F14 feeder. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' names Amazon.com or the brand before you buy.
Runs on one AA alkaline battery. Fish Mate's manual says to sit it over a 30 mm (1-1/4 in) hood hole or on its two supplied clamps, and to supervise a new unit for 14 days while you are home. That is the maker's advice, not reliability data.
Check price on Amazon Opens amazon.comSmart plug for the light
Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A EP25P4 (4-pack)Choose the EP25P4 4-pack. On Amazon, check 'Ships from / Sold by' before you buy; TP-Link's own page links to an Amazon search, not a named seller.
For lights and other noncritical loads. TP-Link rates it 15 A but only 1/6 HP for motors, for non-condensing indoor air, so keep it away from splashes. TP-Link does not say whether it restores its state or runs schedules without the cloud after an outage.
Check price on Amazon Opens amazon.com
For longer trips see up to a week away. The time-away planner compares every plan.
Questions
Can my fish go a weekend without food?
We cannot give a number. No veterinary, university or maker source we read states a safe time without food, and Merck says needs are known for only a handful of species. Ask a fish vet about your species, or arrange for someone to check the tank.[1]